James Poulos writes about political news, focusing on our choices for liberty and our options for reform. He's a columnist at The Daily Beast, the host of the Free Radicals podcast, and the frontman of a band called Black Hi-Lighter.

From Ron to Rand, the GOP's Paul Problem Isn't Going Away. It Also Isn't a Problem

Establishment Republicans have been eager to get past the part of the election cycle where Ron Paul has played an outsized role. Rand Paul’s recent endorsement of Mitt Romney divided libertarians, but the Paul heir’s apparent capitulation to business as usual actually underscores how the GOP faces a more complex challenge to the ideological status quo.

Rand’s willingness to play ball with the powers that be takes on a much different cast than it would if Ron wasn’t still a powerful force on his own. Instead of hanging up his spurs, Paul the Elder is raking in the cash: $1.78 million in May, leaving him with over $3 million in the bank. That’s not much relative to Mitt Romney’s almost $77 million take that month with the RNC. But, combined with Ron’s persistent impact in the wake of the primaries — Iowa is sending a largely Paulite slate of delegates to this year’s nominating convention — it’s enough to keep independent libertarians active in Republican party politics.

That makes for a two-prong Paul family strategy: play an outsider’s game and an insider’s game. While Ron keeps the grassroots purists happy, Rand admits freely that he’d be “honored” to serve as Romney’s vice president. From one angle, this seems a dangerous approach: it could give the Pauls the worst of both worlds, discrediting themselves among libertarians and Republicans alike.

There are two potent reasons why it’s not such a high-risk move, however. First, there’s not much of an alternative. Second, libertarians and Republicans alike have a deep-seated need to have it both ways in just the manner the Pauls are achieving.

Consider the alternatives to the two-prong strategy — giving up on politics altogether, assimilating completely into the Republican party, and doubling down on the Libertarian party itself. It’s clear that libertarians are enjoying their moment of increased national relevance; given the libertarian cast of some frustrations on the left with Obama and the continued disenchantment of many conservatives with establishmentarianism on the right, there’s much less to savor about turning a cold shoulder to the national political scene. Yet, the time is not yet ripe for a full push to burrow into the heart of the GOP. Ron and Rand may actually both be setting libertarianism on a course for a much closer encounter with the centers of Republican power, but libertarians are far from ready to check their identity at the door. Finally, no matter how well-regarded and competent Gary Johnson may be, the Libertarian party itself is an ineffective organization that still struggles with credibility and unity from the ground up. For the foreseeable future, the future of libertarian Republicanism belongs to the Pauls.

Despite the protracted bickering and fretting this may cause, it leaves everyone on the right better off. Booting the Paul people from the GOP might gratify some neoconservatives, it’s not possible to expel them without performing a full libertarianectomy — and any Republican who’s willing even to risk that outcome just isn’t serious about winning elections (to say nothing of any fealty to Reagan Republicanism). Likewise, awkwardly navigating the borderline between libertarian and Republican purists is the only way to reassemble an effective voting and governing coalition that can replace the current administration and hold the line against congressional Democrats and movement liberals.

More than grief, Ron and Rand deserve applause from the factions they’re working to bring together.

Post Your Comment

Post Your Reply

Forbes writers have the ability to call out member comments they find particularly interesting. Called-out comments are highlighted across the Forbes network. You'll be notified if your comment is called out.

LOL HAHAH!!! Mr. Web-man, just cuz you put it in an e-book and post it on the interwebs, don’t make it true. You sir, are a complete joke. You do know what Nazi means, don’t you? It means national socialism. Ron Paul must be real deep under cover for the last 30 years if you think he is a national socialist. LOL HAHAH!!! man… I can’t breathe… *sighs*

Just because you wrote it for some organization called “Independent Research Associates” doesn’t make it true.

Also – just at a glance, I see a few statements that need citation and re-examination.

For example: “The only known use of EMPTA is as a precursor to Vx a deadlynerve gas; it has no uses in pharmaceuticals.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Ethyl_methylphosphonothioic_acid “it has constructive uses in the synthesis of pesticides and pharmaceuticals”

Another example: “A soil sample was taken from the grounds around the Al-Shifa “Pharmaceutical Plant” in the Sudan and EMPTA was discovered.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Shifa_pharmaceutical_factory “Nor has USA ever let an independent laboratory analyze the sample allegedly containing EMPTA. Michael Barletta concludes that there is no evidence the al-Shifa factory was ever involved in production of chemical weapons, and it is known that many of the initial US allegations were wrong.[4]“

There’s an outfit based in New York which uses this method to slander public personalities, mostly politiciancs. Since any rag of a publication would not make such pretentious statements due to law suits, all that is left are anonmious methods. But hey, everybody needs a job. Question is, how much is paid for these hit contracts? Maybe I can get paid also…after all, all iit takes is a vivid imagination and to be sociopathic.

A lot of people act like Mr. Webb. At times I think some of these types are just completely misinformed but part of me sees a larger liberal conspiracy. Hard core liberals despise libertarinaism and when they saw a chance to claim racisim earlier this year they jumped all over it. Ron Paul is a social libertarian. That term in and of itself excludes anything in line with hitler style racial clensing and to suggest something so stupid makes you sound like an operative for the democratic party. Ron Paul is not a racist and as someone who’s supported him I can honestly say I’ve not met one person who supported doctor Paul for reasons having anything to do with any such thing. Dr. Paul says the same basic things over and over and he never wavers. These ideas of limited government, ending imperialist, interventionist policies abroad, and civil liberties for all (Even minorities) are what excite the people who support him.

Libertarianisim is a HUGE threat to the Democratic establishment taking some of thier key platform issues like Civil liberties and one upping them into obscurity. Democrats spread fear for this reason. Ron Paul’s supporters gaining any traction on the party platform would be catastrophic to an Obama re election and liberals know this. Romney can court the middle and give Obama an early knockout blow if he can successfully court the middle without aleinating social conservatives to the extent that they won’t get out to vote. A fine line but focusing on civil liberties, like internet freedom are Romney’s best chance to pull this off. Paulites aren’t likely to come over easily so I think he’ll have to give a lot more than the repub establishment thinks they should have to. It will be interesting and while I know Romney the “businessman” is actually a really good politician… (flipflopper) I think it’s asking a lot to think Romney and his supporters are smart enough to realise how much influence Ron Paul’s ideas have on independents and undecided voters. I really believe Romney could K.O. Obama at the convention but isn’t likely to happen.

Clearly Mr Web Man is a corporatist sympathiser..My guess he has interest in war profiteers aka military industrial complex or wall street banksters that feed at the Feds trough..Either way Ron Paul is a huge threat to these crooks. Americans have had it with being fleeced and rightly so..

We have to give GOP regulars an ultimatum: Nominate Ron Paul, or else. We can prevent Republican Party unity and Ron Paul supporters can do everything possible to derail Romney’s bid, including raising public awareness of the massive cheating at state conventions by pro-Romney operatives. Furthermore, we will put Ron Paul supporters into the Electoral College, so any State that Romney wins, Ron Paul actually gets the electoral votes.